Archive for April 26th, 2010

Can You Force Yourself to Dream? Slate’s Explainer: A new study shows that a nap can help you memorize images and solve problems, but only if you dream about them. Participants attempted to navigate a virtual, 3D maze. Half took a 90-minute nap. Those who dreamed about the maze were 10 times better at negotiating the task than other nappers or subjects who didn’t sleep at all.

New York’s 19th district has a Republican challenger that pretty much epitomizes many of the young loud-mouths we’ve all had to deal with from time to time — loud and educated as if by morons — ever more frequently by chalkboard performance art.

This, of course, will come to real news to, uh, y’know history — some well-heeled Democrat in a wheelchair for example. And, since Ms. Cavere equates “liberate” with defeating Hitler, the only other implication her knowledge of history could have is that Stalin and the Red Army were Republicans because they did a lot more on that score than anyone else.

So, using my own blackboard, I guess what I’m saying is the Comrade Cavere is a Stalinist.

Pope Threatens to Cancel U.K. Trip It seems the pope can’t take a joke. The Vatican is threatening to cancel a visit to Britain by Benedict XVI after a leaked Foreign Office memo gave suggestions that included a “Benedict condom.” The list of fanciful suggestions for the visit includes: review Vatican attitude on condom use (launch of “Benedict condoms”); bless a civil partnership; reversal of policy on women bishops (ordain women); open an abortion ward; speech on equality; training course for all bishops on child abuse allegations; harder line on child abuse (announce sacking of dodgy bishops); Vatican sponsorship for network of AIDS clinics; get the pope and the queen to sing a duet for charity, and more. —JCL The Telegraph: Senior Papal aides suggested the Foreign Office had not taken strong enough disciplinary action against those responsible for the document, which suggested the Pope should open an abortion clinic, bless a homosexual marriage and launch his own range of condoms while he is here. No-one has lost their job over the memo, which was sent to Downing Street and at least three Whitehall departments, and the civil servant who authorised it has simply been moved to other duties. One highly-placed source in the Vatican said: “This could have very severe repercussions and is embarrassing for the British government—one has to question whether the action taken is enough. “It is disgusting. Britain’s ambassador to the Holy See has been in to see the Secretary of State and explain what happened and this will all be relayed to the Pope … .” Read more

It seems the pope can’t take a joke. The Vatican is threatening to cancel a visit to Britain by Benedict XVI after a leaked Foreign Office memo gave suggestions that included a “Benedict condom.”

The list of fanciful suggestions for the visit includes: review Vatican attitude on condom use (launch of “Benedict condoms”); bless a civil partnership; reversal of policy on women bishops (ordain women); open an abortion ward; speech on equality; training course for all bishops on child abuse allegations; harder line on child abuse (announce sacking of dodgy bishops); Vatican sponsorship for network of AIDS clinics; get the pope and the queen to sing a duet for charity, and more. —JCL

The Telegraph:

Senior Papal aides suggested the Foreign Office had not taken strong enough disciplinary action against those responsible for the document, which suggested the Pope should open an abortion clinic, bless a homosexual marriage and launch his own range of condoms while he is here.

No-one has lost their job over the memo, which was sent to Downing Street and at least three Whitehall departments, and the civil servant who authorised it has simply been moved to other duties.

One highly-placed source in the Vatican said: “This could have very severe repercussions and is embarrassing for the British government—one has to question whether the action taken is enough.

“It is disgusting. Britain’s ambassador to the Holy See has been in to see the Secretary of State and explain what happened and this will all be relayed to the Pope … .”

Related Entries

Goldman CEO to Perform Community Service as Treasury Secretary Fake news by Andy Borowitz A Treasury Department spokesperson said that by performing community service as treasury secretary, Lloyd Blankfein will do less harm to the economy because he will have significantly less power than he had as chairman of Goldman. Fake news by Andy BorowitzBy Andy Borowitz

A Treasury Department spokesperson said that by performing community service as treasury secretary, Lloyd Blankfein will do less harm to the economy because he will have significantly less power than he had as chairman of Goldman.

Fox Nation used the baseless headline “Blago Moves to Subpoena President: New Dirt Implicates Team Obama” in linking to a Mediaite story about the trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL). However, as ABC’s Jake Tapper noted, Blagojevich “alleges no criminal wrongdoing by the president or his team” and is of “disputable credibility.”

Fox Nation falsely claims subpoena “implicates Team Obama”

Fox Nation: “Blago Moves to Subpoena President: New Dirt Implicates Team Obama.” Fox Nation linked to the April 22 Mediaite article under the headline “Blago Moves to Subpoena President: New Dirt Implicates Team Obama” and excerpted from the article:

In fact, subpoena “alleges no criminal wrongdoing” by Obama or his team

Tapper: Blagojevich “alleges no criminal wrongdoing by the president or his team.” In an April 23 post on ABC’s Political Punch blog, Jake Tapper stated, “Blagojevich alleges no criminal wrongdoing by the president or his team, though he does raise questions about what he says are conflicting stories.”

Tapper: “Disgraced” Blagojevich “is of, shall we say, disputable credibility and is, of course a defendant in a criminal case.”Discussing Blagojevich’s speculative allegations, Tapper wrote, “Disgraced Democratic former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich filed a legal motion Thursday asking for President Obama to testify at the former governor’s corruption trial.” Tapper further wrote, “One should of course keep in mind that Blagojevich is of, shall we say, disputable credibility and of course is a defendant in a criminal case, having been indicted last year on 16 felony counts, including racketeering and extortion conspiracy.

Former Bush Official Charged With Contempt Of Congress In Geeks On Call Case Former U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch, the Bush official who has been dogged by allegations of malfeasance for years, was charged today with criminal contempt of Congress in connection with his notorious use of Geeks On Call to scrub his computer while under investigation for politicizing his office, according to a court filing in federal court in Washington.

Comments Off on Bloch Attorney: I Am Pleased ‘Unnecessary’ Inquiry Is OverPermalink

Obama administration may be risking nuclear war Excerpt: The New York Times reported on friday that the Obama administration is considering arming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with conventional warheads to provide a “Prompt Global Strike” option, enabling targets anywhere on the globe to be hit in as little as an hour. There is, however, one “small” problem with that idea. The launch of any […]

Comments Off on Obama administration may be risking nuclear warPermalink

It essentially boils down to re-engaging the voters who propelled him to the White House in 2008. Obama also warns that only by keeping the House and Senate under Democratic control will he be able to pursue his agenda.

Key finding: 41% of the delegates said they absolutely will not vote for Bennett.

“GOP convention rules say the ultimate second-place finisher must have at least 40 percent of the delegate vote to avoid final elimination. And the survey shows Bennett may not reach that percentage in the three rounds of voting.”

Countdown for Crist Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has until this Friday, April 30 to decide whether he’ll drop out of the Republican U.S. Senate primary and run instead as an unaffiliated candidate.

The Fix: “Most Republican sources in Florida and Washington seem to believe that a Crist switch is a foregone conclusion — there is even speculation about when this week he might choose to announce it — but, as almost always in these sorts of delicate political situations, there are very few people who know the real deal and they are not talking much.”

Meanwhile, CQ Politics notes the biggest hurdle for Crist as an independent will be fundraising since he is not able to self-finance his campaign.

What’s Holding Obama The Professor Back? Dahlia, many thanks for your generous words–and for your excellent question, which has to have occurred to our president from time to time, especially in recent months. Should he say more–should he say anything at all–about his understanding of…

Slideshows

Where's Osama?

On Sept. 11th, 2001 George Bush said he would catch bin Laden dead or alive.
He never did, we used to run a counter showing how many days it had been, but Obama finally took care of it for him. Just another Bush lie.

Send Us Money

Stories & Articles by H.L.

Author

The Hollywood Liberal started in 2004 at the height of the Bush Administration madness in America.
We were inspired by the late great Bartcop.com. The very first thing I did when the site started was to get arrested at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. My arrest at the start of a march from The World Trade Center was later ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. On New Years Eve 2014 the case was finally settled, with a judge awarding a class action suit that I was part of over $26 Million. I posted daily on the blog up until the end of The Bush error, and the site is now run as a history of the whole fiasco. Feel free to browse the old postings, pictures, & comics (an HL favorite) It reveals the twisted history of the times. Thanks H.L.